After all these years, they're still amazing

[Geri Comstock]

Over the weekend I did a show. A customer from the previous year who'd bought a pair of long pierced earrings from me came into my booth, pulled one out of her ear after wearing it since last year (GROSS!), and plunked it in my hand without any attempt to clean it first. She wanted me to change something about the way I bent the ear wire because she'd since decided my zig zag design just wasn't her at all. LOL.

I've never had this happen before and was so taken aback that I just made the adjustment for her. After I adjusted it, she wiped it off with her fingers and stuck it back in her ear. Ugh!

After she left, I cleaned my hands with rubbing alcohol that I keep in my booth. I'd read on the orchid board about this kind of unsanitary thing happening to jewelers all the time, but I'd never experienced it myself.

To me, this rates up there with that other woman licking my glass at a show some years ago. Just when you think you're heard and seen it all some new thing happens. I've gotta laugh, even though I'm shuddering with disgust.

If this ever happens again, I think I will tell the customer that health codes won't permit me to do this. Anyone have any better ideas?

Grossed Out Girl

[Dolores]

Geri,

How about "let's just clean this off with alchohol first", or "Oh dear, let's clean this thing off, you want to protect your ears you know!" Grrrrross! It reminds me of the time I used to work at the old Builders Emporium and one of the customers decided to use the display toilets. I always wondered if he got a clue when he realized that it didn't flush! Anyway, if your customers don't get the hint then resort to "Fie, away you Philistine!" (they still won't get it, but you'll feel better!).

DOLORES
P.S. Looking forward to seeing you and your wares at the Santa Monica Crafts Market (you are going to be there, right?)

[Geri Comstock]

Yes, I'll be at CCM Santa Monica, Oct 31, Nov. 1, Nov. 2 in Booth 139. See you there.

Geri

[Amy on Salt Spring]

Wait...someone LICKED the glass???
-A

[Geri Comstock]

Yes. Really. I had a customer lick a barrette.

She didn't believe me when I told her my barrettes were made from glass; she thought they were plastic, so she licked one of them to check. And then she didn't buy it.

But before she licked it, probably at least 100 other people had touched it. GROSS!

What made this especially funny to me is that many years ago I was doing a different show where i was selling cast glass seashells that I'd made. My next door neighbor at the show, who was leather handbags was puzzled as to why people kept sniffing my glass. Apparently some customers thought the glass seashells were soap and were sniffing them to see. I explained this to him and said I didn't care if they smelled my glass as long as they didn't lick it.

Not an hour later, some woman went into his booth, licked her finger and rubbed it on one of his handbags. I guess she was checking to see if the dye was colorfast. We were both disgusted that someone would do that and at the same time were laughing hysterically that it had happened to him instead of me. She didn't buy the handbag...

Laughing -

Geri

[rosanna gusler]

i guess i might be a 'gross one'. i will click things against my teeth if i am not sure what they are made of. tap tap. usually at yard sales though. hmmm pearles or plastic? builds immunities. got your flu shot yet? i did. lol. i have a potter friend who will , when she truly loves something i ( or someone else) have made, bite/lick it. she describes those things as being delicious. whatever. rosanna

[Dolores]

When I was at the Harvest Festival a few weeks back and one enterprising jeweler was selling some corkscrew style wire earrings. He was stopping people in the aisles and offering to wind them onto their earlobes. Needless to say I was appalled at the thought of someone trying the same pair of earrings on every passerby and told him so. "Isn't that against the health code?", I inquired in shock. "Not as long as we wipe them off with alcohol inbetween customers" was his reply. This just sounds tooo disgusting to be true . What is your understanding about this? I think he should have named his earrings "hookers" because they've been around.

DOLORES

[rosanna gusler]

ewwww, whats a little hepatitis between friends. that IS gross. i bet the law varies from state to state. interesting to check out though. rosanna

[Kim Bellis]

Dolores, you crack me up "hookers" - I really needed a chuckle this morning thanks!

[Patricia O'Neill]

I am so shocked by this post that I need to answer. Boo me if you want....

What, this lady took off her earing to put it in your hand. There are things grossiest in this world. Things that even can't be washed....

I guess that you go to art shows to make money, no? Do you know that money is the dirtiest thing ever. Next time someone give you a bill, think of how many nose-picking-armpit-scratching people handled it before.... are you going to refuse it? I don't think so.

[Judd]

I sell my glass at a local Artists Market. My neighbor who sells jewelry has a sign that reads, "Do not try on the toe rings." So, so nasty.

Also, Dolores, we had a guy like the one you described. He not only allowed his customers to try on the jewelry, but offered free piercing to all his customers. Now in my opinion he was an old shriveled freaky little guy, yet ironically enough had several customers who wanted him to pierce their ears.

Maybe I'll get lucky this Christmas and have a booth next to a guy who offers liposuction.

Judd

[Judd]

Patricia O'Neill
I had another friend who was a male exotic dancer. One night, after a gig, he felt uncomfortable. After reaching into the back of his pants, he found a crisp not-so-clean five dollar bill.

Judd

P.S. My wife and I sold this guy our old car. We did wash our hands after the transaction.

[Geri Comstock]

I am so shocked by this post that I need to answer. Boo me if you want....

What, this lady took\0\05{\0\0\0\0\0\0\0\0 put it in your hand. There are things grossiest in this world. Things that even can't be washed....

I guess that you go to art shows to make money, no? Do you know that money is the dirtiest thing ever. Next time someone give you a bill, think of how many nose-picking-armpit-scratching people handled it before.... are you going to refuse it? I don't think so.

The issue with the earring is not that it was "dirty". It's a health safety issue. Body fluids (blood, etc.) that can cause disease in other people can be on earrings freshly removed from an ear. That's why it is against health code to allow people to try on pierced earrings. Pierced earrings can transmit diseases like hepatitis, etc.

As for the money issue, I'm quite aware of how filthy money is, but am less concerned about serious health risks from it because I've never gotten any money with fresh blood or other body fluids on it that I'm aware of.

Geri

[Jerry Cave]

I suppose we look at these things a bit differently than customers do. Earlier this year I visited six of my bracelets at a show in Idaho. They were all nasty looking. I couldn't stand it. The customers never take them off. ????? I took the bracelets one by one and cleaned and polished. Sparkled like new. Then gave each of the customers a disposable polishing cloth. They didn't see the dirt and grime that I did.

[Joanne Owsley]

[quote="Geri ComstockTo me, this rates up there with that other woman licking my glass at a show some years ago. [/quote]

After a re-read, I was so glad to finally see the g....